Resistant starch as energy.

OBJECTIVE: This study was designed to compare the metabolizable energy of two starch sources, standard cornstarch and high amylose cornstarch.

METHODS: Diets containing 70% amylose (AM) or 70% amylopectin (AP) cornstarches were fed to 10 control and 14 hyperinsulinemic men for 14 weeks. During the last 4 weeks of each period, subjects were fed a controlled diet containing 34% of total energy from fat, 15% from protein and 51% from carbohydrate (55% of carbohydrate provided AM or AP). Duplicate food and all urine and feces were collected during the second week of the controlled diets for energy, nitrogen, fiber and starch determinations. Metabolizable energy (ME) was calculated as [energy intake minus (fecal plus urinary energy excretion)].

RESULTS: Total fiber uncorrected for resistant starch was 35.2 g and 48.8 g in the AP and AM diets, respectively. The AM diet contained an average of 29.7 g resistant starch (16% of total starch) while the AP diet averaged 0.8 g (less than 0.01%). ME was not significantly different between the AM and AP diets nor between the control and hyperinsulinemic subjects. Fecal energy and nitrogen was significantly higher after the AM compared to AP diet. Based on energy intake and fecal excretion from all subjects, the partial digestible energy value for the resistant starch averaged 11.7 kJ/g resistant starch which was 67.3% of the energy of standard cornstarch. Control and hyperinsulinemic subjects differed in their ability to digest resistant starch, averaging 81.8% and 53.2, respectively. The hyperinsulinemic, but not control, subjects had significantly higher breath hydrogen expirations (LS means, p > 0.05) in the fasting, 1-5 hours and 7 hour collections after consuming the AM when compared to the AP tolerance meal.

CONCLUSIONS: The type of starch consumed in the diet did not statistically affect metabolizable energy. Based on ME and breath hydrogen expiration, amylose and the resistant starch from amylose appears to be utilized as an energy source. Resistant starch averaged 2.8 kcal/g for all 24 subjects but only 2.2 kcal/g in the hyperinsulinemic subjects.